Mohammed Sami's 'Isthmus' at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo

Mohammed Sami's solo exhibition 'Isthmus' at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin presents nine paintings created since 2023. The works challenge perception through ambiguous perspectives, inverted views, and obscured imagery. In 'Upside Down World' (2024), a fog-enshrouded urban scene with plastic debris in the foreground sets the tone. 'Emotional Pond' (2023) depicts an upside-down architecture within a red opening on a black canvas. 'Under the Palm Trees' (2023) shows a red water surface with reflections of dark towers, evoking J.M.W. Turner's depiction of the 1834 Parliament fire. 'Ashfall' (2023) transforms from charred wood to a dark sky with illuminated palm trees. Other works feature tally marks, tank-track-like forms, and shifting perspectives. Sami, born in Baghdad in 1984, emigrated to Sweden at 23, and now lives in London, draws on his migratory history and memories of Iraq. The exhibition title 'Isthmus' (al-barzakh in Arabic) suggests an interstitial space between physical and psychological realms. The show runs until 13 October.